Museum-quality head of the Christ child

Museum-quality head of a Christ child
Upper Italy/South Tyrol
Around 1500
Carved wood & original polychromy
Height head 20 cm, base 16.5 cm, total height 36.5 cm

This high-quality head of the infant Jesus was probably originally part of a depiction of the Madonna and has been aesthetically applied to a plinth here. The round childlike face is framed by prominent stubble curls that protrude behind the large ears. Under the high forehead and the barely noticeable eyebrow ridges, almond-shaped eyes look directly at the viewer. The small pout beneath the snub nose is twisted into a slight smile. The masterly execution of the physiognomic facial features shows the high artistry of the carver. Particularly striking are the typically twisted Gothic locks of hair, reminiscent, for example, of the museum-quality works of Hans Klocker from Brixen. The locks of hair are strung together in volute-like strands in seemingly arbitrary fashion, thus revealing the virtuosity of the carving.